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Monday, 20 May 2013

I have the pleasure of welcoming to Ex Libris Callie Hutton, who is celebrating the release of her latest novel, The Elusive Wife, a Shakespeare-play-reminiscent historical romance recently released by Entangled Publishing's Scandalous line. So read on and you could even win a beautiful necklace sat the end. ;-)

So You Want to be an Author?by Callie Hutton

On occasion, to keep myself anchored in the ‘real’ world—as opposed to the fairy tale land I live in every day while I write--I substitute teach at our local high school. I love high school students, they’re fun, funny and take themselves much too seriously.

Last week one of my students watched me typing away from his desk right next to me—a problem student, special seating and all—and asked the question I get every once in a while. “How do you become an author?”

I learned a long time ago not to laugh at that question, because even though it seems obvious to me—write a book—some people are really confused on how it works. You see, because it is actually a nebulous procedure.

As far as I know, there is no Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Author. You can have a Master’s Degree in Literature, or be a creative writing teacher, or have ideas for stories running around your head all the time, but that doesn’t make you an author. You can hang around with writers, join writer groups, take online craft classes, and learn the lingo, but until you sit down and write that book--and here’s the tricky part – actually finish it – you’re not an author.

You also must be a voracious reader. I always raise my eyebrows at someone who tells me they want to be an author and when I ask why type of books they like to read, they say, “oh, I don’t read very much.” I cross them off my list as credible future authors. If you don’t read – you’ll never write. Well, not anything that I would read, anyway.

Like any other field, being an author requires discipline. You must set aside time in your busy life to write. You need to prioritize. If you only have an hour to write, and it’s a choice between working on your story or watching the latest reality TV show, which is it? If you must decide between figuring out that plot problem, or reading yet another book on the craft of writing, which is it?

Writing takes practice. Lots and lots of practice. Someone once said there are no great writers, only great re-writers. Again, if you have a fancy college degree, that doesn’t make you an author, even though you probably wrote a number of papers during your college career. It probably helps when searching for that right word, or knowing which form of a word to use. But nothing screams ‘author’ like staring at the blank screen of a computer, wishing something would come to mind.

Reading about the craft of writing doesn’t work, either. I can read all the books I can get my hands on about heart surgery, but unless someone is foolish enough to lay their body out in front of me while I hold a scalpel, I’ll never be a heart surgeon. Nor do I want to be, actually.

And, until you sit down, write that book, finish it, then submit it to a publisher, you’re not an author. Scary, isn’t it?

Callie has been making up stories since elementary school, and writing gave her a way to turn off the voices in her head. After having a number of articles and interviews published in newspapers and magazines, she took on what she’d always dreamed of. Writing that book. She currently has a number of both historical and contemporary romance books published.

She currently lives in Oklahoma with her husband and adult children who move in and out with alarming regularity. Add three rescue dogs and the household is complete—and full. She enjoys hearing from her readers, and would love to have you visit her.

Jason Cavendish, the Earl of Coventry, is trying to discreetly locate his unwanted and abandoned bride among London society to request an annulment. However, he doesn’t remember what she looks like because he was blind drunk at his arranged wedding and hasn’t seen her since.

The fascinating Lady Olivia has captured the Earl’s attention. Newly arrived from the country to stay with her school friend for the Season, she is appalled to discover that her husband, Lord Coventry, doesn't even recognize her. She's not about to tell the arrogant arse that she is his wife. Instead, she flirts with him by night and has her modiste send her mounting bills to him by day.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing's helpful intervention, the Earl will gift a family heirloom charm bracelet of pearl and sterling silver to the individual who assists with the locations of The Elusive Wife!

To be entered just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and tell us: When do you consider someone an author? When they have written their first story? Submitted it to an agent/publisher? When they signed their first contract? Or when their book gets published? Or at another moment? Do tell us.

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